Glove boxes are commonly used for the manipulation of hazardous or potentially hazardous substances within a controlled environment. Typically the glove box will include one or more glass walls or windows through which an operator can view the interior of the glove box from a safe position exterior to the glove box. One or more pairs of glove ports or gloved openings are provided with gloves attached thereto. The gloves are connected to the wall of the glove box in a manner than maintains a seal between the interior and exterior of the glove box.
Operators can insert their hands (and typically a portion of their arms) through the gloved openings and into the gloves to manipulate items within the glove box. The interior of the glove box may be under a vacuum or may otherwise be maintained under a separate atmosphere than the exterior. After manipulating items within the glove box, operators can withdraw their hands. The glove box may include multiple pairs of gloved openings in side-by-side fashion along the glove box (i.e. a glove box line) so that e.g., multiple items can be manipulated or multiple operations can be performed in a manner similar to an assembly line.
As hazardous substances (e.g., toxic or radioactive) are typically within the glove box, it is important not to allow air or other gases interior to the glove box to escape to the exterior and to otherwise keep such hazardous substances within the glove box. However, challenges can exist with effectively utilizing a glove box while maintaining a proper seal or boundary between the interior of the glove box and the exterior where the operator(s) is located. For example, it may be desirable to transfer an item such as e.g., a tool, material, sample, etc. into the glove box for use therein. Care must be taken not to allow contamination of the exterior to the glove box by such an action.
One approach to transferring an item into a glove box has been to place the item into one of the gloves on the exterior side of the glove where the operator's hand would typically be placed. This first glove containing the item is then replaced by inserting a new glove into its place in a manner that maintains a seal between the interior and exterior of the glove box. The first glove, containing the item, is pushed into the interior of the glove box as the second glove takes it place. Once the first glove is completely displaced from the wall of the glove box, the operator's hands can be inserted into the pair of gloves to reach into the glove box and remove the item from within the first glove.
Unfortunately, such process of displacing a glove to insert an item into the glove box has certain deficiencies. If multiple items are introduced, depending on their size, multiple gloves may be expended as each is dropped into the glove box with the introduction of another item. Additionally, the shape, weight, or other aspects of the item may interfere with its positioning within a glove. Depending on the position of the gloved openings, the item and glove may be dropped within the glove box—which could be dangerous and/or damaging for some items. Once in the glove box, further manipulation is required in that the item must be removed from the glove by an operator now trying to handle the item while wearing gloves and reaching into the glove box. Other difficulties may also be encountered.
Accordingly, a device and method of transferring one or more items into a glove box would be useful. Such a device and method that can maintain a seal between the interior and exterior as the item is introduced would be particularly beneficial. The ability to use the gloved openings of an existing glove box interchangeably with such device and method would also be useful.